The Thames Path through Surrey is about as easy as long walks get. The stretch from Staines to Hampton Court runs to roughly 12 miles (19 to 20 km), and the going is flat. Quoted times vary, from a little over four and a half hours of walking to five and a half, so allow five to six hours once you have stopped for a drink.
The route in two halves
Rambling Man, which splits the National Trail into stages, divides this walk neatly. Staines to Shepperton is 5½ miles (9 km), and Shepperton to Hampton Court is 6¼ miles (10 km). Staines, Shepperton and Hampton Court are all marked as rail stations, so you can bail out or break the walk in two.
The path changes bank along the way. An unofficial path guide describes the river beyond Hampton Court as becoming considerably more rural, with larger houses, fewer bridges and plenty of swans and geese. If you want a shorter day, Fancy Free Walks has a circular route around Weybridge and Shepperton of 8 km with one ferry crossing, or 13½ km if you take in Shepperton village.
Which way you walk is a matter of taste. Starting at Staines means finishing by Hampton Court, with a train back from the station there. Starting at Hampton Court means ending at Staines station, which is a short walk from the river.
The Weybridge to Shepperton ferry
This is the one bit of planning worth doing. A small pedestrian ferry run by Nauticalia carries walkers and cyclists across the river and spares you a diversion along the Wey Navigation past Shepperton Lock. It runs on request, roughly every 15 minutes, and from the Weybridge side you ring the bell. One walker reported paying £3.40 a head, but that review is undated, so treat the fare as a guide only.
Published hours differ between sources. The most detailed listing gives 8am to 6pm on weekdays, 9am to 6pm on Saturdays and 10am to 6pm on Sundays, while a timetable site suggests the last crossing from Shepperton leaves around 5.35pm and that the ferry runs weather permitting. Check before you set out and plan to cross before about 5pm. If it is not running, Visit Thames says you will need to cross on Walton Bridge instead.
Shepperton also turns up in H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, in a scene at the ferry, which is a nice thing to have in your head as you wait for the bell to be answered.
Riverside pubs, west to east
Opening hours, menus and prices change, so look up the day before. These are the pubs worth knowing about along the way.
Swan Hotel, The Hythe, Staines. A Fuller's riverside pub with a north-facing terrace, two bars, a restaurant and usually three Fuller's ales on, according to CAMRA. It also has rooms, and a short walk from the station makes it a natural start or finish.
Wheatsheaf & Pigeon, Penton Road, Staines. A community local between Staines and Laleham, a short signposted walk from the Thames Path, according to North Surrey CAMRA. Good if you want a local rather than a terrace.
Kingfisher, Chertsey Bridge Road, Chertsey. CAMRA describes a patio garden overlooking the Thames and Chertsey Bridge, with a food focus and a vegan menu. OpenTable lists it as a gastropub in the £26 to £40 band. If you arrive by car, a tip on Yelp says to enter your registration on arrival.
Thames Court, Towpath, Shepperton. A Vintage Inns pub on the right bank above Shepperton Lock, with riverside seating, an all-day menu and cask ales including Doom Bar and Landlord, according to CAMRA. It suits a long lunch before the ferry.
The Anglers, Manor Road, Walton-on-Thames. On an old riverfront wharf, with upstairs river views and a food-led menu, says CAMRA. A recent review mentions a new riverside garden. One walker on AllTrails called it an amazing pub with river views, and it is the one to aim for on the second half of the walk.
The trains back
Hampton Court station sits at the end of a short branch line run by South Western Railway, which opened in 1849 and has just two stations, Thames Ditton and Hampton Court. SWR's journey planner shows evening trains to Waterloo at 23 and 53 minutes past the hour, which fits a half-hourly service. An older guide puts the journey at about 35 minutes, and says you change at Surbiton from Guildford, Woking and Basingstoke.
Walton-on-Thames and Weybridge are both on the Waterloo main line, which makes them handy places to stop if your legs give out before the end. If you finish at Staines, the station is a short walk from the river. Frequencies change, so check the timetable for your day rather than relying on older guides.
Who it suits
This is a good walk for anyone who wants a full day outdoors without hills, and for people weighing up a move to the area who want to see how the river shapes life in Staines, Shepperton, Walton and Weybridge. Go on a dry weekday if you can, leave early enough to be across the ferry in good time, and let the pubs set the pace.
More detail on the stages is on Rambling Man, the ferry is described on thames.me.uk, and the pubs are listed on CAMRA, including The Anglers.
